Pagan fertility ceremonies have been practiced by various cultures throughout history. These ceremonies are centered around the belief that engaging in certain rituals can enhance fertility and promote the growth of crops and livestock. One of the most famous pagan fertility ceremonies is the May Day celebration, which has origins in ancient Celtic and Germanic traditions. During this festival, communities would gather to participate in activities such as dancing around a maypole, which symbolized the phallic symbol of fertility. People would also make flower crowns and adorn themselves with colorful ribbons as a way to bring fertility and abundance into their lives. Another well-known fertility ceremony is the Beltane fire festival, which is still celebrated today in some parts of the world.
The prevailing image of Russia constructed by media is not particularly diverse: Orthodox Christian, Slavic, white. Paganism and all the diversity of religions are not very represented. What do you think of that?
The truth is that Russia is not Orthodox at all, and not quite Slavic. The territory where Slavic people live now used to belong to Finno-Ugric nations and they assimilated with Russians, so in the end it's more Finn blood rather than Slavic. The impact of Orthodox Christianity is very shallow; I think [even] for people who believe in God nowadays, it's [mainly] pagan god and pagan rituals. In fact all the Orthodox rituals are based on paganism. Easter, Christmas, communion, sacred relics—it's all very pagan and that's why [it is] loved so much.
The territory where Slavic people live now used to belong to Finno-Ugric nations and they assimilated with Russians, so in the end it s more Finn blood rather than Slavic. The Mari are a Finno-Ugric ethnic group that live in the eastern part of Western Russia mainly in the Mari El Republic and around the Ural Mountains in Bashkortostan and Tatarstan.
Another well-known fertility ceremony is the Beltane fire festival, which is still celebrated today in some parts of the world. This ancient Celtic tradition marks the beginning of summer and is associated with promoting growth and fertility for humans, animals, and crops. Participants would light bonfires and jump over them to cleanse and purify themselves and their surroundings.
Another pagan fertility ritual
Don’t say a word. I don’t like it any more than you do.
Now then, tomorrow, if I am not mistaken, is Feb. 14, a.k.a.
Valentine’s Day. Are you excited? I knew you would be. You know what
to do and when to do it, although some of you do it better than
The question is, do you know why you do it? Who started this thing
anyway, and whose idea were the cards and the gifts and the flowers
and the romantic dinners and who knows what all, as long as there’s a
big, bright red heart in there somewhere?
As with most holidays and traditions, no one really knows.
Feb. 14 is the namesake day of two early Christians, both named
Valentine and both martyred in Rome in the 3rd century.
The more likely Valentine’s Day daddy was the St. Valentine who
was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, around 270 A.D.
Claudius was an unpleasant, humorless person who had his imperial
hands full pushing the Roman Empire west into Gaul and fighting
barbarians on a number of fronts at the same time, which is probably
why he was so cranky.
When he had trouble finding enough recruits for his armies, he
somehow decided the problem was that Roman men didn’t want to leave
their sweetie pies, or in Latin, sweetius piius. In one of those
grand, idiotic moves that only emperors get to make, he nullified all
marriages and engagements in Rome.
But St. Valentine said “Whaddaunuts?” and secretly married as many
couples as he could, until he was found out, which made Claudius
really, really mad and made Valentine really, really dead. And on
that sad note, Valentine became the patron saint of love and
But most historians think Valentine’s Day has more to do with the
ancient Roman holiday of Lupercalia, a fertility festival celebrated
each year in mid-February. One of the favorite Lupercalia party games
was putting the names of the girls in a bowl and having the boys each
draw a name. That was your date for the entire festival, and any
relationship that lasted beyond that was supposed to be blessed with
good luck and lots of little Romans, sometimes called Romanettes.
But churches take a dim view of pagan festivals in general and
ones pushing fertility in particular. When Romans continued to
celebrate Lupercalia, the church made an announcement.
“Listen up, people,” it said. “We’re OK with the singing and
dancing and drawing names, but until further notice, Feb. 14 is a day
to honor Saint Valentine.”
“Who is that?” people asked.
“Never mind,” said the church. “That’s all for now. Happy
Things haven’t changed all that much in the 1,800 or so
Valentine’s Days since then. There have been all sorts of variations
on the Valentine’s Day theme from country to country and culture to
culture, but the idea of showing your love, or at least affection,
and exchanging a small token of that love has remained constant.
In the Middle Ages, young people still did the
draw-a-name-from-the-bowl thing. The names were printed on a
heart-shaped piece of paper that you’d wear on your sleeve for one
week, which is where “wearing your heart on your sleeve” comes from.
They also believed that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on
Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a
goldfinch, she would marry a very wealthy man. But if she saw a
sparrow, she would marry a poor man. It was a very dangerous time to
Pre-printed Valentine’s Day cards first showed up in the 1700s,
and by the 1800s, they were everywhere. The first mass-produced cards
in the U.S. were made and sold by a woman named Esther A. Howland in
the 1840s, and to this day, there are banners all over the Hallmark
Cards offices that say, “We love you, Esther.”
According to the Greeting Card Assn., about one billion
Valentine’s Day cards wend their way to somebody’s heart every year,
which makes it the second largest card holiday of the year, after
Christmas and the 2.6 billion cards that it causes. And for all you
guys out there who think you’re romantic, don’t be so sure. More than
80% of those one billion Valentine’s Day cards are purchased by
And then there are the results of a Valentine’s Day survey of
7,000 classic car owners that was done by Hagerty Insurance, a
company that specializes in insuring classic cars. Of the 7,000
classic car owners, almost all of whom are of the male variety, 60%
spent more on their car in the last year than on their significant
other. Sixty-two percent talk to their classic car on a regular
basis, which is scary, and 42% have given their car a name. And here
are the bell ringers: Twenty-nine percent bought a Valentine Day’s
“present” for their car last year, and 57% of those spent more than
Nice work, men. I give up. So there you have it. Everything you
ever wanted to know about Valentine’s Day, Claudius II, ’65 Mustangs
and love. I hope you’re writing this stuff down.
* PETER BUFFA is a former Costa Mesa mayor. His column runs
Sundays. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected].
7,000 classic car owners that was done by Hagerty Insurance, a
They would also engage in rituals and offerings to the gods and goddesses of fertility. Pagan fertility ceremonies were not limited to specific cultures or time periods. Similar rituals have been practiced by various cultures worldwide, from ancient Egyptians and Greeks to Native American tribes and African communities. These ceremonies often involved prayer, dance, music, and offerings to gods and goddesses associated with fertility, such as Aphrodite, Freyja, and Demeter. Despite the decline of pagan religions in many parts of the world, some pagan fertility ceremonies are still celebrated today as a way to reconnect with nature and honor ancient traditions. These events often attract participants from different spiritual backgrounds who are drawn to the symbolism and energy of these rituals. In conclusion, pagan fertility ceremonies have been an important part of human history. These rituals have been used to invoke fertility and abundance in various aspects of life, from crops and livestock to human fertility and love. While these ceremonies may have different names and forms across cultures, they all share the common goal of connecting with nature and harnessing its power for growth and renewal..
Reviews for "The Connection Between Pagan Fertility Ceremonies and the Seasons"
- Mark - 1 star
I attended a pagan fertility ceremony recently and I must say it was one of the most bizarre and uncomfortable experiences of my life. The entire event was filled with strange rituals, chanting, and dancing around a fire. I couldn't help but feel like I was in some sort of cult. The participants seemed so enthralled by these rituals, but I found them to be nonsensical and lacking any real meaning. It definitely wasn't my cup of tea.
- Sarah - 2 stars
I decided to give a pagan fertility ceremony a try, thinking it would be an interesting cultural experience. However, I was sorely disappointed. The ceremony felt like nothing more than a bunch of people dressed in strange robes, jumping around and pretending to connect with nature. It all seemed very forced and insincere. I couldn't help but wonder if these people actually believed in what they were doing, or if it was just a way for them to rebel against societal norms. Either way, it didn't resonate with me at all.
- David - 1 star
I had high hopes for the pagan fertility ceremony I attended, expecting it to be a unique and meaningful spiritual experience. Unfortunately, it fell far short of my expectations. The ceremony lacked structure and coherence, with participants seemingly making things up as they went along. It felt like a group of people trying too hard to be different and edgy, without any real understanding of what they were doing. Overall, it was a confusing and disjointed event that left me feeling disappointed and disillusioned.